Miracle Review Jan 7-14 '07

[Ms Belvedere]

Miracle out of Tampa – 7-14 Jan 07

 

I tried to keep this short but kept thinking of things to add, so here is my “short” review:

 

We arrived two days early and stayed at the Grand Hyatt by the airport, got a great rate through my work account, $111.00 per night. Room 1050 was a corner suite with views of the bay from two sides. It’s a beautiful hotel but when we sail from Tampa again we’ll stay downtown, probably at the Marriott Waterside.

 

Renting a car was a necessity due to being so far from everything and we drove to two malls that were nearby as well as all over Tampa to get a feel for the layout of the town. ABC stores, Sweetbay grocery stores, Starbucks, and lots of fast food places are on Dale Mabry Blvd. We also used the trolley system to get around the port area and Ybor City.

 

Boarding was a breeze, we got to the port at 10:30 am and waited for a wedding party to move through, an hour later we were on board the ship and scoping out the Lido deck and our room. We’d been upgraded to a suite, room 6189, by our PVP the week before – kisses and waves to our PVP, and thanks to fellow CC member Linda! The next day maintenance opened the divider between our balcony and the family member traveling with us and we had more room than we could use. Junior and his assistant did an excellent job with keeping our room clean and stocked, the towel animals were cute as usual.

 

Dinners were delicious and there was something for everyone. I noticed the crowd was a bit older on this cruise and the passengers were very friendly and interested in talking to fellow cruisers. There was a feeling of respect and kindness from many we met. As far as dining room attire, most pax dressed according to the recommended guidelines, there were shorts, and some hats, quite a few people dressed up every night.

 

The Lido deck at breakfast did serve the exact same thing every day, I don’t mind that since I usually don’t eat a big breakfast. Coffee, fruit and some yogurt along with a few pieces of bacon usually held me until lunch. DH indulged in the ham, potatoes, eggs over easy at the omelette station, and grits with butter, brown sugar. For future Miracle cruisers, make sure you walk around to all four stations serving breakfast and see what is being offered, some had items another may not have had, like pancakes or bacon instead of ham and sausage.

 

Lido at lunch offered a wide variety of foods, from carving stations serving a different meat each day to soups, sandwiches, salads and, of course, the 24 hour pizza. One day they had New England clam chowder in bread bowls. At the stand where the carving station is located is a pasta station where fresh pasta dishes are prepared. This and the deli were the only places I noticed any kind of lines. I think it was Tuesday afternoon that they had ice cream sundaes on the back deck. There may have been other days but that was the day we had ours, there were also cookies along with all sorts of toppings, chocolate, and fruit syrups.

 

We’d been to the ports many times and we come back to these over and over because we enjoy them. No need to rush off the ship at ports, we took our time and just meandered around each one.

 

Grand Cayman – Princess, Crystal Serenity and 2 RCCL ships were in port with us. We walked around and looked at some shops then went upstairs to Breezes to have a nice leisure lunch overlooking the water and ships. Some of the passengers from the other ships were sitting around us and we all talked and enjoyed ourselves and the food/drinks. The people from the Princess ship said they were not happy with the crew on their ship – said they seemed to just be doing their job and were not friendly.

 

Cozumel – We docked in town right by Carlos and Charlies and the shopping area. The Princess ship we had been in port with at Grand Cayman was unable to make it to Cozumel due to the rough waters, they couldn’t tender. After walking through the plaza/ marketplace and down through the streets for about 3 hours we headed back to the ship to eat, change clothes and catch a cab to San Francisco beach (next door to Paradise Beach). It was heaven to sit on the beach chairs with a margarita, eating Mexican food (I cannot remember what we had but it was delicious!), and watch the water sports in the distance. This is one port I’d like to visit on every single cruise.

 

Belize – Heavy rains kept a lot of people from going on their excursions but we went in to the shopping, again, walked around and got a bathing suit cover up, checked out the jewelry and ended up on the dock at a new (?) bar drinking cold ones and watching it rain off and on. I swear I have vacation induced Alzheimer’s Disease, I can’t remember what the name of this bar was, they had a GREAT band and all ages were enjoying the view, music, and atmosphere at the dock. We met 2 couples who were on the Regent Seven Seas Norwegian, they had been docked beside us in Cozumel. Very down to earth people and fun to talk with them about their experience on their cruise.

 

Costa Maya – The port was closed due to heavy winds and high seas and port fees were refunded. :( We’ll catch it on our next cruise and frankly, I was “ported out” by then. It was nice to have a day of sitting on our huge balcony watching flying fish and we even spotted a dolphin. We commented over and over that we needed more people to appreciate that huge stretch teak, it was just too much for the three of us.

 

After debarking on Sunday we dumped our luggage at the Hampton Inn to store for the day and spent time at Channelside and Ybor City, it was so easy to use the trolley to go back and forth, $4.00 per person unlimited for the day or $2.00 p/p one way if you’re just going from Channelside to Ybor City, for instance. We visited the big hotels and walked through the lobbys. You can store your luggage at the port for a dollar/bag until 4:00 pm. After collecting our luggage we caught a cab to the airport and people watched until our 8:35 pm Southwest flight back to Dulles. We saw flights delayed and/or canceled at both airports due to the storms in the mid-west.

 

After-thoughts, likes, dislikes, and general comments:

 

The Miracle was immaculate, all of the staff were friendly and hard working. We didn’t go to any of the shows so I can’t comment on those, we didn’t go to the past cruisers party or the Capt’s cocktail party, either. Just didn’t feel like it and wanted to do our own thing at our own pace. The casino was not paying anything on the slots, especially the quarter machines. I made enough on the nickel machines to pay off our Sail & Sign cards and enough to play a little while but if a machine you’re playing isn’t paying, don’t have hope, it won’t get better. DH did alright playing Blackjack. I met a woman who was charging her slot machine play and had run her card up to 1800.00! :eek: She was funny and friendly and we talked about slots on the other ships.

 

The food was excellent, but the service was on the slow side. We took a few bottles of wine and ended up opening them ourselves because the waiter was too busy. One of the wines was a Jackson-Triggs Ice wine that was perfect for dessert – mmmmmmmm, like honey. The Warm Chocolate Melting Cake is to die for and available every night in the dining room. I didn’t try the dining room for breakfast or lunch but will do that on our next cruise, it’s nice to be served rather than trying to find a seat at lunch. There were always plenty of seats on Lido but if you see one by a window you may want to grab it and wait until the rest in your group gets their food and sits down before getting yours.

 

Saw a lot of lounge chair saving but there were plenty of extra chairs here and there, and you can move the lounges to wherever you want. If seats are obviously being saved and you want in the middle, move them out of the way without touching the owners’ personal items and put your chair where you want. You’re not “taking” their things or their saved chairs, just adjusting the seating arrangement. ;) ;)

 

Generally I don’t care what people wear but have become more observant after reading these boards and I know that there are some on CC care very much. Formal nights were Monday and Friday and people did dress up, everyone looked well put together and presentable. I did see men with no shirts on in the Lido at lunch and lots of people with bare feet walking through the area. Part of that is due to the setup of the eating/sunbathing areas co-mingling.

 

On Belize day they sold the infamous Coconut Monkey Head drinks, they’re 17.45 after tax and gratuity. Take into account the size of your luggage and ability to take it home if you buy one. They have different sizes and I’d imagine the room stewards end up throwing a fair number away due to pax not being able to pack/cart them home! That night they have a bathrobe party up on deck and you’re advised to bring your Coconut Monkey Head along to the party. I found that rubbing the monkey’s head does not bring good luck in the casino. We almost tested his floating ability after one especially bad day of gambling. :mad:

 

We used the Concierge Club Wash/Fold service and it worked really well. You fill out the laundry tag and put items in the bag provided in the desk drawer. Laundry is back the same day if you gave it to the room steward by 9:30 am. We usually sent clothes out the night before and got them back the following night, washed and folded or on hangers. The self service laundry was $2.00 to wash, $1.00 for detergent, not sure about drying but it’s probably 2.00 a load.

 

Hope this review helped some of you future travelers and/or brought back memories from previous Miracle cruises! I know there was more to write but I’m petering out and still need to finish unpacking and doing laundry. Will check back later to see if anyone has any questions.

 

Ms B

[dck12ga]

Thanks for the review. We will be on the Miracle 2/11 and we can not wait! This will be our first cruise! My first question is how much was the concierge wash and fold service for a bag?? We are taking our children so I am thinking of washing part way thru. My second question is how big is that monkey head?? OK, that is all I can think of right now!

[Sandi149]

Thanks for the great review. We will be sailing on her in June. Can't wait!!! :D

[chitown cruisers]

Thanks for the great review. We will be sailing on her in June. Can't wait!!! :D

Hi Sandi....I was waiting for you to show up......:) You're the first person I think of when I see Miracle threads.

[Sandi149]

Hi Sandi....I was waiting for you to show up......:) You're the first person I think of when I see Miracle threads.

 

Hey Craig......I think I know everything there is to know about the Miracle now....LOL!!! I really should leave some things to surprise. :D I am just so excited about this cruise. All this planning and then before I know it, it will be over. :(

 

Ohh I do have a question for you? From what you could tell, what were the ages of most people onboard? Were there people in their 40's and 50s?

[Sandi149]

Hi Sandi....I was waiting for you to show up......:) You're the first person I think of when I see Miracle threads.

 

Hey Craig......I think I know everything there is to know about the Miracle now....LOL!!! I really should leave some things to surprise. :D I am just so excited about this cruise. All this planning and then before I know it, it will be over. :(

 

Ohh I do have a question for you? From what you could tell, what were the ages of most people onboard? Were there people in their 40's and 50s?

[Sandi149]

Ack...double post sorry. I guess they are still having problems with the servers.

[chitown cruisers]

Hey Craig......I think I know everything there is to know about the Miracle now....LOL!!! I really should leave some things to surprise. :D I am just so excited about this cruise. All this planning and then before I know it, it will be over. :(

 

Ohh I do have a question for you? From what you could tell, what were the ages of most people onboard? Were there people in their 40's and 50s?

the majority of the CC group I was with were in the 40's and 50's...........I say it was the norm.

[rebeljohn]

Ms. B..............Thanks for posting your review. It looks like the Miracle and her staff are still going great. We cruised on her in Sept. and had a wonderful experience.

[Ms Belvedere]

Thanks for the review. We will be on the Miracle 2/11 and we can not wait! This will be our first cruise! My first question is how much was the concierge wash and fold service for a bag?? We are taking our children so I am thinking of washing part way thru. My second question is how big is that monkey head?? OK, that is all I can think of right now!

Since it's your first cruise you won't have Concierge Club wash and fold but you will get the laundry special where you fill a bag they give you with your clothes and they'll wash them for you. It's 15.00 and I think they offered it on a Friday. They also have the self service laundrettes on board and you can wash them yourself for a reasonable price. There are 5 self serve laundry rooms on board the ship, keep in mind that they'll be heavily used at the end of the cruise and on the days when formal night is that evening.

 

As you walk onto the ship head to the Purser's desk. They have a small stand of the little ship floor plans to the left on the counter, the location of the laundry rooms is in that booklet.

 

I think I know everything there is to know about the Miracle now....LOL!!! I really should leave some things to surprise. I am just so excited about this cruise. All this planning and then before I know it, it will be over.

 

Ohh I do have a question for you? From what you could tell, what were the ages of most people onboard? Were there people in their 40's and 50s?

 

You can never be too informed and there will still be plenty of surprises when you get on the ship! The main age was 40 - 50 but there were plenty of people of all ages. There was a nice mix of passengers too, many different nationalities and groups, no one would feel out of place.

 

Thanks for posting your review. It looks like the Miracle and her staff are still going great. We cruised on her in Sept. and had a wonderful experience.

LOL- yes, they're still doing fine and they try to make sure you're having fun and enjoying your vacation! Most are going on vacation themselves when the Miracle leaves Florida in April. I'm sure they're looking forward to their own time off.

 

One other thing I thought of is that the ship docks and/or tenders in Cozumel every other week so this week they'll be tendering. It makes a difference because of the extra time it takes to get off and on the ship if they tender.

 

This week they have a group of 600 Miller beer and ABC Liquor store owners/management on board and they said that the Miller products will be free. Can you imagine? :D

[Ms Belvedere]

My second question is how big is that monkey head?

The Coconut Monkey Heads are about the size of a small soccer ball. The servers walk around with trays of them and you can pick a smaller one if you have to carry it home or can fit it in your suitcase. I tell you, when you see someone else with one you'll want one of your own!!! :)

[Ms Belvedere]

Since I'm correcting a dupe post I'll add another thought on this cruise. The usual reggae music that's played on the Lido sun deck during the day was sung by two women and two men played the music. First time I've ever seen a reggae band on Carnival with women in it. Unfortunately, the singing was AWFUL, I mean awful! One night they were playing in the casino and I complained to the casino host - they were loud and I can't describe what was wrong, they weren't really off key, don't know if the music was too slow, I can't quite put my finger on what the problem was but I couldn't stand it. Maybe I'm in the minority but I wanted the Island Boys!

 

Another odd thing I just remembered, there was no other reggae music on board the ship. In the Lido restaurant they played some sort of non-descript new age and in the elevators it was Mexican Folk music. We actually heard more Caribbean/Island/Reggae music in port than we did on the ship.

[LHP]

Hey Mrs. B....so glad you enjoyed your cruise. The Miracle was one of our best.

 

Glad to hear that our ole PVP is "doing his job well".

 

We just booked the Victory out of New York for September 29th. We are flying in a day ahead and staying at the Hampton Inn in Manhatten. (gotta use those free points, you know!!) Our airline tickets for 3 people round trip is going to be a whooping $70.00. Our oldest son will be in college and won't be able to go. (He is not thrilled) We are very pleased that he will be ending his Freshman year with 55 hours!! (yea, AP courses) He has a 4.0 so far...hopefully that will continue. They had to build a remote control submarine for his Introduction to Engineering course (a whole 1 hour course) from scratch and they could not spend more than $100.00 AND it had to have a robotic arm to perform 4 tasks in a restricted amount of time. His 3 man team was successful.

 

I am still waiting to get the chance to give old RCCL a try. Every time I think I am going to get the chance, Carnival beats the price by a pretty good bit.

 

We really enjoyed those ports as well.

 

In Belize, we went upstairs to the Wet Lizard and enjoyed the breeze and view. (that was after we visited both the smaller bars that were right on the water at the pier~~had to try that Belize beer!)

 

Happy Cruising!!

[Ms Belvedere]

Hey Mrs. B....so glad you enjoyed your cruise. The Miracle was one of our best.

 

Glad to hear that our ole PVP is "doing his job well".

 

We just booked the Victory out of New York for September 29th. We are flying in a day ahead and staying at the Hampton Inn in Manhatten. (gotta use those free points, you know!!) Our airline tickets for 3 people round trip is going to be a whooping $70.00. Our oldest son will be in college and won't be able to go. (He is not thrilled) We are very pleased that he will be ending his Freshman year with 55 hours!! (yea, AP courses) He has a 4.0 so far...hopefully that will continue. They had to build a remote control submarine for his Introduction to Engineering course (a whole 1 hour course) from scratch and they could not spend more than $100.00 AND it had to have a robotic arm to perform 4 tasks in a restricted amount of time. His 3 man team was successful.

 

I am still waiting to get the chance to give old RCCL a try. Every time I think I am going to get the chance, Carnival beats the price by a pretty good bit.

 

We really enjoyed those ports as well.

 

In Belize, we went upstairs to the Wet Lizard and enjoyed the breeze and view. (that was after we visited both the smaller bars that were right on the water at the pier~~had to try that Belize beer!)

 

Happy Cruising!!

 

I'm glad to hear your son is doing so well at college - you've got to be proud! The Victory cruise sounds great, I've never sailed from New York and that flight rate is unbeatable! The three of you are lucky to be able to cruise together even though your other son can't make this one. And yes, our PVP has to be the best one at Carnival - LOL!

 

Forget about RCCL, if you can't get a good price it's not worth it. Maybe sometime down the road you'll find a better price and can give them a try, but if you're doing well with Carnival, why change? :)

 

It's good to talk to you again!

[Suzij11]

how did you get upgraded? it just "happened" .... NICE!

[teanbean16]

Great report on the Miracle. We will be cruising on the 4th of March--CAN'T WAIT!!!!!

[Ms Belvedere]

how did you get upgraded? it just "happened" .... NICE!

We booked through Carnival and got a balcony guarantee. Since it was a low time of sailing, right after the holidays, we were given a room on the Verandah deck in room 7164. I kept watching the website and and saw that there were plenty of rooms available on the balcony levels and then guarantees opened in the Suites. When our PVP called to make sure we got our documents (about a week before our cruise date) I mentioned that it certainly woud be nice to be upgraded to a Suite since they were still open. ;) ;) Next thing I know, it happened! :D

 

We were also given the option when booking through Carnival's PVP of what room we wanted or area of the ship we liked. So when you read that you chance being placed in any open room on the ship on a guarantee, that isn't always the case.

 

Great report on the Miracle. We will be cruising on the 4th of March--CAN'T WAIT!!!!!

 

Thank you, teenbean. To all of you future Miracle cruisers, you won't be disappointed, and the week didn't fly by like we thought it would. It was a nice, relaxing week of fun! :)

 

Ms B

[Ms Belvedere]

Dupe post - sorry.